June was drawing to an end.
As for me, I was still being handled like a ticking time bomb in the classroom.
Half the guys glared at me as if they were ready to throw a punch at a moment's notice.
And that trio of girls had started complaining directly to me once a day. Seriously, what was going on?
I had been making a conscious effort to treat them kindly, too.
I had no idea what was going through their heads.
Then, on a certain Friday, while I was reading in the clubroom, Nakina spoke up.
"...Hatsukade-kun, do you have any free time after this?"
"I don't have any plans after school."
"Then, um... w-would you like to go on a date?"
I stopped mid-page and looked up.
It was rare for Nakina to bring up something like this... No, wasn't this the very first time?
"Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"
"I just realized something. Things are looking bad at this rate. The second I take my eyes off you, you're already on the verge of getting along with Suzuki-san and the others. If I don't do something before it's too late, a plain girl like me is going to fade right out of the picture!"
"What kind of logic is that? Besides, there's no way I'm getting along with Suzuki and her crowd."
Nakina made a sour face and leaned forward.
"I won't fall for that trick again! You let our guard down like that, and by the time we notice, you sweep everything away from right under us!"
Why did I have to be treated like a con artist?
Honestly, the real con artist was the one who still hadn't returned the handkerchief I lent her ages ago. Just how many of my handkerchiefs was she planning to steal? It made no sense.
"So, that's why I'd like to go on a date... W-What do you say?"
Nakina's voice withered toward the end of her sentence.
Then, before I could even open my mouth, she flusteredly rattled off more words.
"O-Of course, Hulk is allowed to come along too! It's a great deal!"
"..."
Come to think of it, she had been sending me an excessive number of photos of Hulk ever since the trip to the beach. She didn't have to bait me so blatantly with a dog, though...
I was the one who said I would embrace romance, so there was no reason to turn down a date.
Not to mention the bond between Nakina and me.
There was no reason I would dislike the idea at this point, so why was she always so lacking in confidence?
Looking at her frozen in sheer tension, I snapped my book shut.
"I'd love to see Hulk, but let's pass on that today."
"I-I see... Yeah, of course."
Putting my book into my school bag, I spoke to her dejected figure.
"Come on, let's get going."
"Huh...? But you just said no..."
"To Hulk, I mean. Since it's our first date, it'd be better with just the two of us, wouldn't it?"
"~~~?!"
I chuckled and started walking, while Nakina trailed behind me, letting out flustered little whimpers.
Getting jealous on her own, sulking, and then suddenly lighting up with joy—Nakina truly was an entertaining girl.
◇
Once we reached the bustling commercial district, I tried to guide her to a dog cafe I recommended, but Nakina stopped me.
"Wait, I came up with a plan for today!"
"I'm looking forward to it, then."
That cafe had all sorts of dog breeds and was quite a nice place, though.
Well, I suppose that would be unfair to Hulk.
It seemed she had intended to ask me out on this day from the start and had worked out an itinerary in advance.
Nakina muttered under her breath while staring down at her phone, but her foot caught on an uneven patch of pavement and she stumbled.
"Whoa, you okay?"
"Ah—"
She was about to fall, so I quickly reached out to steady her, prompting her usual nervous chuckle to slip out.
"E-Hehehe, thank you."
"We're not in a rush, so put the phone away and let's just walk slowly."
At this rate, I felt like a parent looking after a handful of a child.
Whatever she did was so clumsy that my behavior naturally ended up like this.
From there, Nakina led me around to various places.
"I think clothes from this brand would look good on you, Hatsukade-kun, but what do you think?"
"True, I do prioritize functionality. They look easy to move around in, so they might be pretty good. I'll pick some up next time if I feel like it."
"R-Right?! I'm so glad I looked it up!"
"...You know, it doesn't all have to be for me. We can go wherever you want to go, Nakina."
She gave a bashful smile and gently shook her head.
"It's fine. You're always helping me out, so I just wanted to thank you for once."
I didn't think I had done anything so grand.
Still, turning her down would be in poor taste.
"All right, I'll leave it to you."
"L-Leave it to me!"
After enjoying some window shopping for a while, we took a break at a classic, old-fashioned cafe.
"I picked a place that had great reviews. You're always drinking coffee, Hatsukade-kun, so I figured you liked it."
"I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I am a bit particular about it. Enough to order beans that catch my interest, at least."
Taking a sip of the medium roast coffee, an exquisite balance of acidity and bitterness spread across my tongue, and a smile unconsciously softened my face.
Looking up, I saw Nakina making a tiny victory fist pump.
"I'm so glad you like it... Phew."
With that, she began crunching down and gnawing on the brown stick served beside her cappuccino saucer.
"By the way, um, what is this hard brown treat? It's not tasty at all."
"That's a cinnamon stick. It's not a treat; you use it to stir your coffee like a muddler. Don't try to eat it."
"H-Huh... No wonder... That's so embarrassing!"
Failing while trying to act cool was just so typical of her.
Well, her natural preference was probably a more photogenic chain cafe, so laughing at her when she went out of her way to pick a place to suit my tastes would be rude.
Chiming in as she actively chatted away, I continued to enjoy the coffee and her smiles.
By the time we left the cafe, night had already fallen.
"There's one more place I want to go."
The place she led me to was a spacious park.
It was probably a well-known spot for dates.
Sitting on the benches and along the edge of the fountain were nothing but couples.
Window shopping, followed by a cafe, and then a park.
It felt as though she had followed a recommended date course straight off the internet, step by step.
That made sense, though.
While it was still a secret to everyone except me, she had been a shut-in who refused to go to school throughout middle school.
She probably had zero dating experience, so being unfamiliar with it was only natural.
If anything, the fact that she had tried this hard for my sake made me happy.
"...Hatsukade-kun, did you have fun today?"
"Yeah, I'm glad I came. Thanks for inviting me."
"Y-Yeah. But it was so sudden, wasn't it? Actually, I was planning on asking you over text yesterday, but I got scared of being rejected and kept putting it off until the very last minute."
Why did she go this far for me?
Saying it myself made me cringe a little, but it was probably because she wanted me to like her.
"Shall we sit down too?"
"That spot over there is open."
A couple had just vacated a bench, so we took a seat.
"I had fun too. It'd be nice if... the two of us could come here together like this again, though."
A faint trace of loneliness slipped past her lips.
"We can come whenever you want, can't we?"
"...That's not what I meant."
Lacking confidence as she was, did she think I would end up going out with someone else?
A fair amount of time had passed since I declared I would take an interest in romance.
And yet... I still hadn't come to care for or fall in love with anyone in a romantic sense.
Laughter rose nearby.
Glancing over, I saw a group of teenagers around our age making a fuss over a kissing couple.
Watching the scene without feeling a single stir of emotion, I turned back to Nakina.
"...Ngh."
A quiet gasp.
Having witnessed the same scene, she quickly averted her gaze.
"..."
"..."
Why wasn't my heart moved in the slightest? Even I found it strange.
I did think Nakina was cute.
Probably long before we ever started talking like this.
She had her pathetic and jealous moments, but I didn't dislike those either.
I also found the devoted effort she showed during today's date charming.
And yet, I couldn't enjoy this situation from the bottom of my heart.
There was a constant sense of unease, like a tiny bone permanently caught in my throat.
My father had told me to look in the same direction as the other person.
When it came to Suzuki and her friends, I had thought they were just averting their eyes from their own lives.
I had thought that as a result of constantly pretending not to see, they were no longer even aware of their own blindness.
But that was probably how it was for me, too.
Right now, I was likely the one who couldn't see a thing.
The reason was glaringly obvious.
"It's getting late. We should probably head home."
"Yeah, it's completely dark out."
I called out to her back as she began to walk.
"Nakina."
"What is it?"
"I'll give you a proper answer one day, so please wait for me."
"D-Does that mean..."
When I get home, I'll ask my father for her contact information.
The time had come for me to see Miko again for the first time in years.